T HE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
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presence dwelt In th e most holy place, so th e child of God is indw elt by the Spirit of God. A san ctu ary is a holy place to be regarded and trea ted w ith becoming reverence. Uzznh touched th e a rk and fell-d e ad . Nadab and Abihu were guilty of sacrilege and died in consequence. The defiler and de stroyer shall him self be destroyed. “ I am God’s temple. In my b reast Where beats my helpless, hurrying h ea rt He dwells, my royal Guest. 0 g reat cathedrals rich w ith art, 1 am your lowly counterpart. And your high altars 'no more blessed Than th is poor supplicating frame. I too am hallowed by His name, And here I bear th ro ’ sin and strife A sp ark of th e celestial flame, A b reath of th e etern al life.” SUNDAY, SEPT. 18. 1 Cor. 1:18-31. The Christian Testimony. “For th e word of th e cross, to those in th e way of perdition is folly; b u t to us in the way of salvation, it is the power of God. And so it is w ritten, I will destroy th e wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of th e prudent. Where is th e philoso pher? W here is th e rabbi? Where is th e reason of th is world? Has no t God tu rned the world’s wisdom into folly? F o r when the world had failed to gain by its wisdom th e knowledge of God in th e wisdom of God, it pleased God, by the. folly of our preaching to save those who believe.” (Conybeare and Howson’s tran slation .) P au l’s message always centered in such thoughts as “ Jesus Christ and him crucified.” “T hat in all things he m ight have th e pre-em inence.” Acts 16:31; 17 :3 ; 18:5. “ Yea, th ro ’ life, death, th ro ’ sorrow and th ro ’ sinning, He shall suffice me, for He hath suf ficed; Christ is the end, for Christ was the beginning, Christ the beginning, for th e end was Christ.” MONDAY, SEPT. 19. Acts 7:54 -8 :1 . Saul Persecuting. Among th e probable causes of Saul’s opposition to Christianity ma^ be men tioned th e preaching of Christ against tradition. Mark 7:3-13. Saul was a Pharisee on account of his traditions. The disciples of C h rist probably preach-
b u t in order th a t he m ight save them' from th e ir sins. A sim ilar purpose will ju stify th e presence of a believer a t a social function where even by refusing to tak e p a rt in anything un-Christian and by tactfu l personal intercourse w ith others, he can carry ou t th e sp irit _of the M aster’s injunction as th e sa lt of th e ea rth and th e ligh t of th e world. THURSDAY, SEPT. 15. 1 Tim. 4:1-10, The Correct R ule of Conduct. The glory of God is to be th e end of. all our actions. E ating and drinking are simple bu t sample actions th a t may rep resen t the rou tine of daily life. 1 Cor. 10:31. The entire life-should be planned and ordered w ith reference to and in accordance w ith the law and will of God. The ancient Israelites had a definite bill of fare prescribed. Lev. 11. Christians are left to th e exercise of individual judgment,, th e only re quirem ent being the motive, th e n atu re of which invests the resulting act w ith moral character. The law may have a place in th e life of a child bu t th e Gos pel addresses men who have presumably p u t away childish things. 1 Cor. 14:20. It develops the sense of individual re sponsibility th e consciousness of which is th e g reatest stimulus to independ ence and moral effort. FRIDAY, SEPT. 16. 1 Cor. 9:19-27. F o r th e Gospel’s Sake. . It has been well said th a t th e Gospel is the rein statem en t of love and love is only maintained by sacrifice. Love will find th e way to its own expression. There will be no need to seek occasions for its exercise. The life of P aul was one of constant suffering and constant trium ph. It was a sacrifice th a t smoked day and n igh t like th e perfumes on the altar. They th a t spend and are spent for th e ir fellow men may die in exile and oblivion bu t they shall none the less be anointed w ith th e oil of glad ness above th e ir fellows. They are heirs and p artak ers of Divine joy. God shall wipe away all tears from th e ir eyes and th ey shall be com forted w ith g reat mercy and everlasting compensation. SATURDAY, SEPT. 17. Isaiah 57:13- 21 . The Dwelling P lace of Deity. There are seven temples mentioned in th e Bible. ‘ The body of th e believer is a sanctuary of th e most holy type. As th e Sheki'nah glory of th e Divine
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